Transition device for car couplers



Jan. 18, 1927.

J. WlLLlSON TRANSITION DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed Juiy 2 4. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original INVENTOR a 4 #pg ATTOREY Jan. 18 1927.

v 1,614,518 J. WlLLlSON I TRANSITION DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLER Original Filed July 24, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

' l,6l4,'5 Jan.- 18,1927. WILLISON 18 v TRANSITIQN DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Original Filed July 24, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

M 1 ATlo 'EY Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN WILLISON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MALLEAIBLE AND STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY.

TRANSITION DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS.

Application filed J'uly 2'4, 1924, Serial No. 727,852. Renewed September 14, 1926.

Fig. 1 is a plan, partly broken away, of a coupler embodying my invention with the transitional member in operating position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, with the parts in. the same position as in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 but with the transitional device in nonoperating position; Fig. 4 is a plan, partly in section, with the parts as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan of a pair of like couplers illustrating a condition which one feature of the present invention is intended to obviate; Fig. 6 is a front elevation,partly in section, with the transitional device in nonoperating position; and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are respectively plan, front and side elevations of the buffer block.

My invention relates particularly to transitional coupling mechanism and is designed to provide means for permitting car couplers to be coupled with couplers of other types, such as of the draw hook connection type. To this end I have provided a transitional or supplemental coupling device which can be carried by the automatic coupler and may easily be swung into and out of operative position so that the coupler may be ready for coupling with an automatic coupler of the same type or with a draw hook arrangement, or any other form of car coupler. My improved device is mountedin a recess in the buffing face of the automatic coupler and provides means for closing the recess when the transitional device is in non-operative position. My invention also comprises the various features which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a coupler of the automatic type, such as is described in my Letters Patent 1,201,665, dated October 17, 1916, and B a coupler of the draw hook type. The coupler Ahas a longitudinally arranged recess or slot 2, the axis of which is radial t0 the pivotal mounting (not shown) of the coupler.

The coupler A has a buffing jaw 3, a pulling jaw 4, and a buffing face 5 intermediate said jaws. The buffing face 5 is broken by the lock cavity 6, in which thelock 7 reciprocates, and by the recess 2, in which the transitional device 9 and the bufling block or member 10 operate. As is shown in Fig. 6, the lock cavity 6 and the recess 2 preferably form a continuous opening through the bufling face 5, but to the rear of such face are separated by a longitudinally extending wall 11. The recess 2 extends rearwardly to the, region of the transversely arranged bolt 12, which has the function of providing a pivotal suspension for the transitional device 9 for the bufing block 10 and for the lock actuating means 13, and also acts to reinforce the coupler against lateral stresses in buffing and draft.

The bolt 12 extends transversely through the lower portion of the coupler head with its head bearing against the intermediate wall 14 and having on its opposite end a nut 15 which is set up against the exterior of the opposite side wall 16 of the coupler.

The transitional device as shown comprises a shackle 17, a trunnion nut 18, the trunnions 19 of which seat in the eyes of the shackle 17, a double screw shaft 20, the ends of which are threaded through the nut 18 and a similar nut 21, respecth ely, with an operat ing handle 22 thereon intermediate the nuts 18 and 21, and a second shackle 23 pivoted upon the trunnions of the nut 21.

As the recess 2 interrupts the lower portion of the bufiing face 5, the buffing member or block 10 is provided to fill the space occupied by the recess 2 and thereby form a continuation of the bufiing face 5, so that as the buffing jaw 3 of an opposing coupler slides along the face 5, it cannot enter or jam in the recess 2 in such a way as to prevent coupling.

The block 10 is mounted on the bolt 12 at one side of the shackle 17, and has on its under side a shoulder 24 which when the block is in use has a buffing bearing against an abutment 25 on the coupler head below the bolt 12, the block itself also having a bailing bearing upon the bolt 12. A forward lateral extension 26 of the block 10 is intended to bear and be supported upon a ledge 27 on the floor of the coupler, as is shown in Fig. 4. Upon the ledge 27 is a vertically disposed projection 28 which with the abutment 25 forms a substantial support for the block 10 when under buffing blows incident to coupling.

When a coupling is desired between couplers of different types, as between the coupler A and the coupler B, the transitional device (which when not in use hangs in the.

position shown in Figs. 3, it and 6) is swung up into horizontal position and the shackle 23 is hooked over the hook coupling 13. The screw handle is then rotated, thus screwing up the shaft into the nuts 18 and 21, thereby shortening the elective over all length of the transition device until the slack is taken up. its the transitional device 9 is swung up into horizontal position, the shackle 17 comes into contact with the buffing block 10 and swings it upwardly and rearwardly about its pivot into the interior of the coupler head as is shown in Fig. 2, where it perforn'is no operative function. When in operative position, it will be seen that the 113135 of the transitional member will lie directly in the line of draft. hen the transitional device is uncoupled, which is effected by turning the handle in the reverse direction to provide suliicicnt slack to permit. the shackle 23 to he slipped off the hook B, it swings down into a vertically depending position tencath the coupler head and the block 10 is then free to drop by gravity into operative position with its shoulder 2i engaging the abutment 2 and its extension 2-6 resting on the let go 2 in front of the projection 28. Coupling may then be effected with a like coupling and as the buffing jaw 3 moves along the buffing face 5, it will slide along the forward face of the block 10, which, because of its reinforcing bearings just referred. to, is enabled to resist balling shocks and guide the opposing coupler into coupled position.

The block is particularly effective in liketo-like coupling with couplers of the A type, in which the coupler of a loaded car, as it comes into engagement with a coupler of an unloaded car, is at a lower level than that of the unloaded car. In such an event, if no guiding member is employed in the slot 2 as is indicated in Fig. 5, the corner a of the bufling jaw 3 as it slides along the guiding and bailing face 5, is apt to engage in the recess inside of the point 7), and this will prevent the jaw- 2 from moving far enough into the crotch 29 to permit the locks to drop into locked or coupled position, and in addition may cause damage to one or both couplers. l Vhen, however, the block 10 is employed, its forward face forming it does a continuation of the guiding and buffing face 5, prevents the corner a; of the bailing jaw 3 from en aging the point Z), and permits the buffing aw 3 to slide into the crotch 29 and the locks will then drop into locked or coupled position.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types one of which is an automatic coupler comprising a coupling member pivotally attached to and carried by the automatic coupler and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the said coupler having a butting face and a slot extending forwardly through the bufing face from the region in which the said member is pivoted thereto, and means for closing the forward end of said slot when the transitional member is in nonoperative position to prevent interference in coupling with a like coupler.

2. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couple of different types comprising a coupling member pivotally attached to one of the said couplers and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the said coupler having a bailing face and a slot extending forwardly through the butting face from the region in which the said member is pivoted thereto, the axis of the slot being on a radius of the pivotal mounting of the said coupler, and means for closing the forward end of said slot when the member is in non-operative position to prevent interference in coupling with a like coupler, the closing means being moved to non-operative position by the transitional member when the transitional member is in operative position. I

3. T 'ansitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types comprising a coupling member pivotally at tached to one of the said couplers and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the said coupler having a buffing face and a slot extending forwardly through the bufiing face from the region in which the said member is pivoted thereto, and means for closing the forward end of said slot when the memher is in non-operative position to prevent interference in coupling with a like coupler, the said means comprising a block movable by the transitional member into non-operative position when the said member is in operative position.

4. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types one of which is an automatic coupler comprising a coupling member pivotally attached to and carried by the automatic coupler and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the said coupler having a buffing face and a slot extending forwardly through the butting face from the region in which the said member is pivoted thereto, and a guiding device having a pivotal connection with said coupler and forming a continuation of the buffing wall across said slot when the said member is in non-operative position.

ill)

5. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types one of which is an automatic coupler comprising a coupling member pivotally attached to and carried by the automatic coupler and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the said coupler having a buffing face and a slot extending forwardly through the buffing face from the region in which the said member is pivoted thereto, and a guiding device pivotally connected to said coupler, and having bufiing bearings upon the coupler, one face of said device conforming to the contour of the said bufling face.

6. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types comprising a coupling member and a buffing block pivotally attached to one of the said couplers, the coupling member being arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane into coupling and non-coupling positions, the said coupler having a buffing face and a slot extending forwardly through the buffing face within which the coupling member and block are pivoted to the said coupler, the block having a supporting bearing on the coupler head when in operative position and being rotatable into the interior of the head into nonoperative position.

7. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types comprising a coupling member and a bufiing block pivotally attached to one of the said couplers, the coupling member being arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane into coupling and non-coupling positions, the said coupler having a bufling face and a slot extending forwardly through the bufling face Within which the member and block are pivoted to the said coupler, the coupling member being arranged to engage and rotate the block into non-operative position when the member is rotated into coupling position.

8. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a buffing jaw and a pulling jaw, a lock, a transitional member, a buffing block, a buffing and guiding face intermediate said jaws apertured for the lock and the transitional member and the bufling block, lock operating means, a bolt extending transversely of the coupler head upon which the member and block and lock operating means are pivotally mounted, the lock and block comprising means for preventing a like coupler from failing to couple with the coupler head the lock, the bufiing block and the lock operating mechanism being operative in coupling with a like-to-like coupler and the transitional member being operative in coupling with an unlike coupler.

9. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a buffing jaw and a pulling jaw, a transitional member and a bufling block mounted in the coupler head operable in a vertical plane, a bufiing and a guiding face intermediate said jaws having a slot therein for the transitional member and the buffing block, one of which is non-operative when the other is operative, the bufling block when in operative position forming a continuation of the buffing face.

JOHN WILLISON. 

